Monitoring Landform Changes in a Mining Area in Mexico Using Geomatic Techniques

Mining activities are conducted to extract valuable minerals from the Earth, which are used to manufacture many objects. However, these operations generate landform alterations, such as deep excavations, artificial embankments, and landscape reshaping. In this study, landform changes were monitored in a mining area in Mazapil, Zacatecas, Mexico, using geomatic techniques. Multitemporal Landsat satellite images and digital elevation models (DEMs) from different years were used to detect and quantify landform alterations and estimate the volumes of removed material. The results show ground depressions greater than −333 m and waste material accumulations greater than +152 m, with an average standard deviation of ±3.6 m. A total excavation volume of 413.524 million m3 and a total fill volume of 431.194 million m3 were quantified, with an estimated standard deviation of ±810 m3. The proposed methodology proved effective for the remote quantification of large-scale relief disturbances in open-pit mining areas. It can also be used for environmental monitoring and hydrological risk assessment in active and inactive mining areas.